PSAT 8/9 Understanding Scores - The College Board

1 SEPT. 23, 2019 MAR. 27, 2020 UPDATED WITH ANSWER KEY AND score CONVERSIONSU nderstanding ScoresPSAT 8/9 CONTACTS FOR PARENTS AND (International)8 to 7 ET, Mon. CONTACTSPSAT 8/9 Box 6720 Princeton, NJ 08541-6720 CONTACTS FOR (7728) +1-212-237-1335 (International) 8 8 ET, Mon. College BoardCollege Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to College success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, College Board s membership is made up of over 6,000 of the world s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to College through programs and services in College readiness and College success including the SAT and the Advanced Placement Program.

2 The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators, and schools. For further information, visit Us 1 The SAT Suite of AssessmentsThe SAT Suite of Assessments is an integrated system of tests that includes the SAT (for students in grades 11 and 12), the PSAT/NMSQT and the PSAT 10 (for grades 10 and 11), and the PSAT 8/9 (for grades 8 and 9). The tests measure the same skills and knowledge in grade-appropriate ways. They work together to show College readiness over time so educators, students, and parents can monitor student progress. Their content reflects the kind of meaningful, engaging, and challenging work that students find in the best middle school and high school courses taught the PSAT 8/9 MeasuresThe PSAT 8/9 measures the skills and knowledge (at the level of content and skill appropriate for eighth and ninth grades) that research shows are the most important for success in College and career.

3 The Reading Test measures comprehension and reasoning skills, and focuses on close reading of passages in a wide array of subject areas. The Writing and Language Test measures a range of skills, including command of evidence, expression of ideas, and the use of standard English conventions in grammar and punctuation. The Math Test covers a range of math practices, with an emphasis on problem solving, modeling, using tools strategically, and using algebraic the PSAT 8/9 Is ScoredStudents receive a total score that is the sum of their Scores on the two sections (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math).To calculate section Scores , we first compute the student s raw score the number of questions correctly answered for each section. Nothing is deducted for incorrect answers or for unanswered questions. Next we convert each of the raw Math Scores to a scaled section score of 120 to 720.

4 We also convert each of the raw Reading Scores and the raw Writing and Language Scores to scaled test Scores of 8 to 38, and then combine these to produce Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section Scores of 120 to 720. This conversion process adjusts for slight differences in difficulty among versions of the test and provides a score that is consistent across different versions. The scaled Scores are the Scores provided on score You Can Use the Student score ReportThe student score report clearly summarizes a student s current achievement levels and encourages next steps for academic progress. You can help students by going over their score reports and helping them understand what their Scores mean. Here s how. TALK WITH STUDENTS ABOUT College READINESSFor each section, the score report includes an indicator that shows whether the student s score meets the grade- level benchmark.

5 These benchmarks allow students and educators to understand how students are progressing toward College readiness. If a student is meeting the benchmark for a section, remind them to continue to take rigorous courses and work hard to stay on track for College success. If a student is not meeting the benchmark for a section, connect them to classroom work that is focused on areas that need improvement. The PSAT 8/9 and the S AT Suite of Assessments 2 USE STUDENT Scores TO IDENTIFY STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Use test Scores , as well as the cross-test Scores and subscores online, to evaluate a student s relative strengths and weaknesses and to determine which skills need practice. Use the red/yellow/green coding on section Scores to evaluate how your student is performing relative to other students who are meeting or exceeding the Highlight the areas in green as the student s strengths.

6 W Prioritize areas in the red range for additional work and STUDENTS DECIDE ON NEXT STEPS Work with your students to think of ways to develop each of the skills you have identified for focus and improvement. Encourage students age 13 or over to go online for more details. For further guidance on interpreting score reports, see the Professional Development modules for K 12 educators at FeaturesOn pages 12 13 of this booklet, you ll find an annotated sample score report that includes detailed explanations of the information that students receive about their College readiness skills. Students age 13 or over can access their online reports to obtain more information and : score reports for schools participating in the test administration research group or study won t include question-level details. The online reporting portal at offers you an array of powerful tools to assess your students progress and plan instruction that delivers what they need.

7 These tools include: Flexible reports that can be sorted and filtered by key demographics. Instructional planning support using test subscores in specific content areas, benchmarks, information for cross-subject tasks, and data for prescribing interventions when students are behind or ahead. Question Analysis Report that helps educators connect subscores to state standards, analyze students strengths and weaknesses, learn which mistakes were the most common, and look for opportunities to reinforce skills. (The Question Analysis Report won t be available to schools participating in the test administration study or research group.) Access to the AP Potential tool to pinpoint students who are likely to succeed in more challenging 8/9 ScoresTotal Scores ONLINE AND PAPER score REPORTSThe total score is the sum of the two section Scores ; its range is 240 1440.

8 Section Scores ONLINE AND PAPER score REPORTSYour students receive Scores in the range of 120 720 for each of two sections. The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section score combines the Scores for the Reading Test and the Writing and Language Test. The Math section score is derived from the Math Test score , including the calculator and no-calculator portions. Test Scores ONLINE AND PAPER score REPORTSThe range for the following test Scores is 6 36: Reading Writing and Language MathCross-Test Scores ONLINE score REPORT ONLY The range for cross-test Scores is also 6 36. These Scores represent student performance on select questions across the three tests and show a student s strengths in the following domains: Analysis in History/Social Studies Analysis in ScienceSubscoresONLINE score REPORT ONLYS ubscores in the range of 1 15 offer feedback on student performance in the following skill areas: Command of Evidence Words in Context Expression of Ideas Standard English Conventions Heart of Algebra Problem Solving and Data AnalysisScore RangesONLINE score REPORT ONLYA student s ability is better represented by score ranges than points.

9 score ranges are derived from the standard error of measurement and show how much a student s Scores would likely vary if they took a different administration of the test under identical recent administrations of the PSAT 8/9, these ranges are approximately: Total: 40 points Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 20 points Math: 30 points Test Scores , subscores, and cross-test Scores : 2 points4 Using PSAT 8/9 Scores to Project PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 ScoresThe SAT Suite from the PSAT 8/9 through the SAT uses a common score scale for the total, section, test, and cross-test Scores . The ranges reported for each assessment reflect grade-level appropriateness within the common scale. Thus, while the total range for the SAT is 400 1600, the total range for the PSAT 8/9 is 240 common score scale means that a student who took the PSAT 8/9 and received a Math section score of 500 would be expected to also get a 500 on the SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT, or the PSAT 10 if they had taken any of those tests on that same day; a score of 500 represents the same level of academic achievement on all four also means that student growth across the SAT Suite is easy to determine.

10 If a student takes the PSAT 8/9 this year and receives a 500 Math section score , then takes the PSAT/NMSQT or the PSAT 10 next year and earns a 550 Math section score , that student has shown a growth of 50 points, which likely resulted from hard work both in and out of total, section, test, and cross-test Scores have been vertically scaled to allow the accurate measurement of growth from test to test. Encourage students to focus on the section Scores if they are curious about the growth they can expect to see in their Scores over the next year. They should look at the set of projected score ranges we have provided (only in online score reports) for students that reflect typical growth. Of course, a student s individual growth will be shaped by the courses taken and by the practice the student undertakes between (available online only) aren t on a vertical scale, and therefore comparing performance year after year should be based on relative performance rather than by calculating student growth across who wish to improve their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT or the PSAT 10 should follow these guidelines: Develop academic skills through challenging coursework.